25%

61%

64%

49%

Percentage of donors that are concerned about how organizations use the money[6]

Numbers at a Glance

50%

Percentage of donors that say personalization of thank you is more important than speed[7]

Generation Breakdown

Millennials

51%—Percentage of Millennials that donates to charity$591 amount a Millennial donor gives annually3.5—Average number of charities supported by Millennial donors43%—Percentage of Millennial donors who would give via social media[8]

Generation Breakdown

Generation X

55%—Percentage of Generation X that donates to charity$921 amount a Generation X donor gives annually3.8—Average number of charities supported by Generation X donors43%—Percentage of Generation X donors who have given through workplace giving20%—Percentage of Generation X donors who plan to increase their giving in the coming year[8]

Generation Breakdown

Boomers

75%—Percentage of Boomers that donate to charity$1,061—Average amount a Boomer donor gives annually4.2—Average number of charities supported by Boomer donors41%—Percentage of total giving donated by Boomers38%—Percentage of Boomer donors who have made a donation that was matched by their employer[8]

Generation Breakdown

Matures

78%—Percentage of Matures that donate to charity$1,235—Average amount a Mature donor gives annually6.3—Average number of charities supported by Mature donors54%—Percentage of Mature donors who say they would not consider adding planned gifts to their wills or estate plans at this point[8]

Philanthropy Today

United States Projected Population

Hispanic

Generational

7% Matures

30% Boomers

33% Generation X

30%Millenials

52%—Percentage of Hispanic donors who say that most of the giving they do is spontaneous and based on who asks them and/or what pulls at their heartstrings55%—Percentage of Hispanic donors who say they prefer appeals in English[9]

Racial and Ethnic Breakdown

African American

Gernerational

13% Matures

45% Boomers

22% Generation X

20% Millenials

75%—Percentage of African-American donors who say giving to their place of worship is important20%—Percentage of African-American donors who say they would support more organizations if asked more often[9]

Racial and Ethnic Breakdown

Asian

Generational

13% Matures

33% Boomers

29% Generation X

25% Millenials

49%—Percentage of Asian donors who say they are more likely to support a nonprofit when their friends and family ask them to40%—Percentage of Asian donors who say they always visit a nonprofit’s website before becoming a supporter[9]

75% of Americans who give believe they give more or the same amount as others, but studies have found that, in reality, 72% give less than the average. The retention rate for first-year donors sits just over 30%, but that number jumps dramatically for multi-year donors. The numbers clearly show that focusing on the second gift and driving retention of multi-year donors makes a dramatic difference. Click here for a full description of the section.

75% of Americans who give believe they give more or the same amount as others, but studies have found that, in reality, 72% give less than the average.

The retention rate for first-year offline-only donors sits just over 30%, but that number jumps dramatically for multi-year donors. The numbers clearly show that focusing on the second gift and driving retention of multi-year donors makes a dramatic difference.

The easiest way to increase retention is to focus on donor satisfaction. On average, almost 80% of donors are satisfied, so organizations are already doing a lot of things right. Nearly half of donors ranked “how the organization uses the money” highest in terms of their concerns when donating, trumping all other concerns for the number one spot. Additionally, 50% of donors say a personalized thank you is more important than the speed with which they receive it. Sometimes it’s more important to get it right than to fulfill it quickly.

Of course, giving preferences and patterns aren’t the same for everyone. For example, Baby Boomers give to an average of 4.2 organizations, while Millennials give to an average of 3.5. The giving habits and preferences of donors also vary greatly based on their age. For instance, over 40% of Millennials would be willing to give via social media, while 43% of Gen X donors have given via their workplace.

Age isn’t the only differentiating factor among donors. Looking at the entire universe of donors, Caucasian donors are over-represented compared to their overall proportion of the population. In fact, the demographic picture of the donor universe looks more like the racial and ethnic makeup of America in 1990 than that of America today. Nearly 75% of donors today are non-Hispanic whites, despite the fact that Caucasians make up only 64% of the population. Conversely, both African-Americans and Hispanics are underrepresented in the donor universe. This does not suggest that Caucasians are “more generous” than other racial and ethnic groups. In fact, African-American and Hispanic donors say they are solicited less frequently and would give more if they were asked more often.